New AnchorRIDES Vehicles Hitting Anchorage Streets

Published: October 17, 2011

Partnering with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

The Municipality of Anchorage Public Transportation Department has taken delivery of ten, 2011 Ford
E450 Paratransit vehicles for the AnchorRIDES program. These vehicles will replace older fleet vehicles
that have exceeded their useful life.

These vehicles were purchased with a $455,564 grant from The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (The
Trust), and an additional $233,656 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Each vehicle is fully
accessible and outfitted with the following features:

• ADA compliant lifts and securement equipment for people using mobility devices, including power
wheelchairs and scooters.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from The Trust,” commented MOA Transit Director Lance
Wilber. “These funds will allow us to continue to provide mobility and independence to Trust beneficiaries
and other vulnerable populations, and the new vehicles will go a long way in helping us manage our rising
maintenance costs.”

AnchorRIDES is a coordinated transportation program serving the Municipality of Anchorage. In 2010,
AnchorRIDES provided 188,804 one-way trips for people with ADA paratransit eligibility, seniors age 60
and over, CHOICE Medicaid Waiver recipients, ASD Title I students and other contracted trips.

“AnchorRIDES is a great example of how working in partnership with other organizations allows us to
provide better, more efficient service,” said Mayor Dan Sullivan. “State funding of public transportation is
a critical piece of coordinated transportation efforts, and we applaud the Governor and legislators for
funding transportation, including these Trust grants.”

The Municipality will be surplussing the retiring vehicles, which will be sold first to human service
agencies. Remaining vehicles will be sold through public auction.

The Trust is a perpetual trust established for the benefit of Alaskans with mental illness, developmental
disabilities, chronic alcoholism and other substance related disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementia, and traumatic brain injury.